Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects. Others believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The university being a horizon for study of different faculty, can play a huge important role in deciding a student future. A student who is eager to learn about other subjects adjascent to the regular subject could also help in advancement of that area beside his main subject areas. It will increase his ability to multitask and might as well increase his productivity. for example: if a person of computer science develops interest towards biotechnology he might understand the area where he could contribute as a computer science graduate which could eventually help a bio technician like building an application to distinguish between blood groups. Here, he is contributing to his main subjects as well as his eagerness to learn about other subjects helped in the field of biotechnology.

However, This might not always be true for all cases if we take an example of a pilot student spending his valueable time in learning subject that are irrelevant to his subject might creates some problem as he might miss the more important lesson of the pilot training while he spend his focus towards other subjects. These kind of profession requires deep knowledge of his field one can't simply put low weightage on his field and spend more time or additional subjects compared to his main subjects. This might result in his poor performance and low confidence in his areas. Spending time in additional subjects also unnecessarily increases pressure and might causes mental health issues. Thus, it is advisable for students of STEM fields to focus on their main subjects rather than spending that time for additional subjects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and give a position: the first paragraph explains how learning beyond a main subject can support interdisciplinary work, while the second argues that some students, such as pilots, need to prioritise specialist training. The computer science and biotechnology example is relevant and helps illustrate your first point. However, the discussion is uneven and the conclusion is not clearly separated or fully developed. The final recommendation focuses on STEM students, although the pilot example concerns a different field, and the task asks for your overall view on university students. Develop both sides more evenly and state a consistent, general position, supported by a specific example for each view.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable two-part structure, with “However” signalling the shift from the benefits of additional study to the case for specialisation. Examples are placed near the ideas they support, so the overall line of argument can be followed. Progression is less clear within the paragraphs, however: the first moves from multitasking and productivity to a detailed biotechnology example without fully explaining the link, while the second combines pilot training, performance, confidence, mental health and a STEM recommendation. Some references, such as “This” and “These kind of profession,” are unclear. Use clearer topic sentences, connect each example explicitly to its claim, and give the conclusion a distinct, consistent role.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt some topic-related vocabulary, including “advancement,” “productivity,” “contribute,” “deep knowledge” and “mental health issues.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and the examples show an effort to express more than basic opinions. However, several inaccurate or unnatural phrases make the writing less clear, such as “huge important role,” “study of different faculty,” “low weightage on his field” and “additional subjects.” Spelling errors such as “adjascent” and “valueable” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural collocations and precise terms—for example, “interdisciplinary study,” “place less emphasis on” and “specialist training”—and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if a person of computer science develops interest… he might understand” and a contrast introduced by “However.” These attempts allow you to explain causes and possible outcomes. However, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “A student … could also help” (the student, not the subject, is the intended subject), “subject … might creates,” “while he spend,” and “These kind of profession requires.” There are also problems with sentence boundaries and capitalisation, such as the lowercase “for example” after a full stop and the comma splice in “one can't simply put…”. Practise agreement, verb forms and sentence punctuation, then proofread each clause.

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